Ancient Empires
The empires of antiquity shaped the modern world, establishing regional networks of administration and commerce that have persisted for thousands of years. Explore the world through empires ranging from Ancient Rome and Greece, to the Zhou and Qin, the Mauryan and Gupta, and the Ptolemaic, to name a few. Discover the epic battles, subtle political maneuvering, and historical currents that created these empires.
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Featured Materials
“Taking Root: Ibn Bassal – Graphic Biography”
Ibn Bassal was a scholar and expert botanist in Al-Andalus. He developed and spread techniques that transformed agriculture throughout Afro-Eurasia.
The Rise, Fall, and Collapse of Civilizations
Social Status, Power, and Human Burials
Comparing Complex Societies
Claim Testing – Evidence
Is all evidence the same? Are some types of evidence better than others? This activity will help students evaluate and learn how to use this claim tester.
Mapping Regional Trade Networks
In this activity, students will map the regional exchange networks of Afro-Eurasia and Mesoamerica in order to create a visual representation of how they connected regions.
Empire Building
Why did some empires last centuries and others crumble quickly? In this activity, you’ll create a Frankenstein-style empire to test the strengths and weaknesses of empires.
Comparative Roles of Women in Rome and Han China
Khan Academy World History Fellow, Eman Elshaikh, compares the roles of women in Rome and Han China.
Macuilxochitl (Graphic Biography)
Macuilxochitl was a poetess and princess whose work is an important source about the Aztec state, warfare, and trade in the pre-Columbian era.
What Is an Empire?
There are many definitions of empire, but some familiar elements are shared by most of them. There’s a reason for that: It starts with working on our “control issues”.
Empires Fall
Empires are built to keep different people together under one government. That’s not easy to do, as pretty much every empire in history found out!